Combination lock and emergency brake for internal-combustion engines



Jul 8 1924,

V. GRIFFITH COMBINATION LOCK AND EMERGENCY BRAKE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGIMS Filed April 10. 1923 FIE.

' Patented duly 8, W24.

barren stares rarest eerie i in,

VICTOR GRIFFZTH, 01* sAn' rnanorsoo, oAL'Ironnm.

Application filed April 10, 1923.

To all whom it may con/fem:

Belt known that I, Vrcron Glurrrrn, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, in thecounty of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Combination Locks and Emergency Brakesfor lnternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improi'ements in combination locks and emergencybrakes for internal combustion engines, and it consists in theconstructions, combinations and arrangements herein described andclaimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a valvular eans adjacent thegas-manifold whereby internal communication with the cylinders may beinstantly and effectually cut oil, thereby killing the engine'tcmporarily and permitting the full energy of atmospheric pressure,through the open ends of the cylinders, to be expended upon the pistonareas as a braking force.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawin 's, inwhich l igure lris an elevation,showing my in,- vention as installedbetween the flanges of a carburetor 5 and a gas-manifold 6, with itsoblique stem extending within a dashboard.

: Figure 2 is a longitudinal, partly sec tioned, view, constructed inaccordancewith my invention and illustrative of the position ofthedifl'erent partsduring a cut oil period.

Figure 3 is a vertical fragmegtarv detail, showing the piston, orplupger, the valvular opening therethroughand its obliquely and rightfaced extremities.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan, showing the manner of securing the footportion of the device between. the carburetor and gasmanifold flanges,and the jam-screws engaging the grooves of the screw-bolts and insuringagainst their removal.

Figure 5 is a detail, vertical and transverse, of a part of the footportion of the device, showing thelbore, the locked plug and thejam-screws Figure 6. is a detail, vertical section, showing thescrew-plug in/ the stem portion of the device, positioned near its baseand in Serial No. 631,243.

co-axial alignment with the bore of the foot portion of the device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A represents the housing,which is of approximate L-shape with 1 and l, respectivcly, the foot andstem thereof. The foot and stem are bored longitudinally, the borescrossing at the juncture of the foot and stem, and have fitted thereinplunger-s 2 and 2, the adjacent extremities of which 3 and 3 haveobliquely fashioned surfaces adapted for slidable movement, the one overthe other. The plunger 2 has near its farther extremity a transversebore 4, registering, when in open or normal position, "with oppositdlydisposed openings 4 in the walls of the foot 1, which, in turn, are alsoin registration, respectively, with the openings through the flanges 5and 6. The plunger 2, in its out ofi" stroke, compresses a spring 7,which operates upon release to returnthe plunger to normal position, orwith its' transverse bore 4 in registration with the openingstransversely-through the walls of foot 1 and also with those through theflanges 5' and 6. The foot 1 bears, exteriori'y, surfaces fitted toreceive flanges 5 and 6' and threaded openings into which are screwedthreaded bolts 8, bearing annular grooves 8 for the engagement of thepo'il'flts of jam-screws 9 entered from the seatof plug 10.Thescrew-plug 10 'has a reduced in diameterportion 10 extending throughthe wallof the foot 1 and ending in a conycx face. adapted, when theplug is properly positioned, to conform to and /forn1 a section of thesurfaceof the bore. The screw-plug 11 is of similar design to that ofplug 10, and bears the same relation to. plunger 2 as does plug 10 toplunger 2. The plunger 2 carries on its lower extremity a seat 12resting upona spring 13, the pplrposeof which will be referred to later.7 e upper extremity of plunger 2- is of di- -ininished diameter and isbored to receive a flock-cylinder 15, carrying members 10,key-controlled and operating to lock plunger 2 in cut off position whenthese members are brought into engagement with the base of bushing 17.As here illustrated, the communication between carburetor and engine ishermetically closed and. locked.

When it is desired to return to normal, or

from contact with base of bushing 17 upon which release the spring13restores p unger 2 to the dotted line position, releas ng plunger 2 frompressure from this direction and permitting spring 7 to restore thisplunger to a position with its. transverse bore in registration with allothers between carburetorand gas-manifold.

Assuming the device dismantled and to be assembled and installed, thefoot 1 is placed between the flanges 5' and 6 with the steml extendinginthe direction of and within the dash-board, as indicated in Figure 1,and the screw-bolts screwed into place. The janiscrews 9 are theninserted obliquely from the seat of plug 10, through prepared openings,

, and set-up until heads are sunk and points are in engagement with theannular grooves 8'. The screw-plug 10 is next inserted and screwed inuntil its convex face is in alignment with the surface of the bore andforming a section of it. The spring 7 is now inserted through theplug-opening 11 and forced to place and followed by the plunger 2. Theplunger 2 after being forced to the extreme limit for non-registrationof openings is there held awaiting further assembling, through thetemporary insertion of a pin in a prepared-for-the-purpose open ng inwall and plunger, a plug being supplied for its closure after withdrawalof pin, as indicated at 19, Figure 3. The plug 11 follows and is screwedinto position, in manner similar to that described for plug 10. The

40 its bore with its obliquely-faced end down plunger 2- is lastassembled, bushing 17 excepted. After the insertion of the lock-cylinder15in the chamber prepared for it and the placing of a spring 13-at thebottom of bore in stem .1, the plunger 2 is inserted in occupies thedotted line position, '[with the key removed. For safety locking toprevent unauthorized use, a thrust of the hand sends plunger 2 down,forcing plunger 2 out, with its transverse opening out of registrationwith other openings 'in fuel line to manifold, and creates an emergencyair-pressure on piston areas open to atmosphere.

' While the construction and arrangement of the device herein describedand claimed is that of a generally preferred form, obviousl-ymodifications and changes may be made without departingfrom the spiritof the invention or the scope of the claims. 1

. Having thus described' my invention, I

claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

lfThe combination, in a device of the character described, with acarburetor and flange and a'gas-inanifold and flange, a member having abore extending from one end to within a short distance of the other endand surfaced sections adapted to receive flanges, threaded openingsentering said sections with threaded bolts therefor having an annulargroove near the ends thereof, jamfscre'ws' adapted to engage saidannular grooves, a plug-opening extending through the wallsto thebore ofsaid member and provided with a seat, a threaded plug for said openinghaving a seat and a diminished andcxtended central portion ending in'aconcave face conforming to the surface of said bore of which it forms asection when properly positioned, a transverse bore extending throughthe walls of said member, a plunger having a transverse bore therethrough near one of its ends, the other of said ends being obliquelysurfaced, means operating to thrust said plunger a predetermineddistance in a certain direction, a compressible means borne in theclosed end of said bore operating to return said plunger to normalposition upon the release from action of said operating means, and ameans for automatically locking in position the said plunger at the endof its'stroke in either direction.

. 2. .The combination, in a device of the character described, with acarburetor and flange and a gas-manifold and flange, a lock: ablevalvular element comprising a sleeve having a transverse opening throughthe walls thereof and adapted to be secured between sa-id flanges'withthe said transverse openings in registration with the openings throughsaid flanges, one end of said sleeve being closed by 'a wall-portionthereof and carrying a spring, the other end being threadedand fashionedwith a seat and closed by a threaded plug having a diminished centralextension ending in a concave face, a plunger in said sleeve having anend obliquely fashioned and an end fashioned for abutment against saidspring, a transverse bore through said plunger near its spring abutmentend, and means for the actuation of said plunger in manner to bring itstransint verse bore into or out of registration with" the transverseopenings in the walls of said sleeve.

3. In a device of the-character described, asubstant-ially L-shapedhousing havinglegs axially at right angle andbores extendinglongitudinally therethrough and communicating at their juncture,plungers fitted, respectively, to said bores and having adjacent endsobliquely fashioned for slidable contact, a transverse bore through aleg of said housing and the. plunger therein asnormally positionedrelative to each other, a

means, carried by the other of said legs, whereby the said plunger isforced into a position in which its transverse bore is out ofregistration with the transverse bore through the said leg, and meansfor returning the said actuating means to the normal position.

4. In a device of the character described,

a housing comprising a foot and. a stem and having, respectively,longitudinal bores therein with axes at right angles, threaded boltsbearing annula grooves for securing said foot in position, means,comprising a plug-closable opening and plug therefor and jam-screws, forlocking said threaded bolts against withdrawal, the said plug having aconcave ending conforming to the surface of the bore, through which itis locked against removal when the plunger is occupying said bore,plungers fitted, respectively, to

sald bores, -with adjacent ends obliquely fashioned, the one plungerserving to actuate theother in one direction, means, comprising springs,for the movement of said plungers 1n the opposite direction, an openmgin said stem 1n co-axlal arrangement "with the bore of said'foot, saidopening serving for the introduction of the plunger be- VICTOR GRIFFITH.

